The present invention is directed to the art of providing information about calling parties to called parties. More particularly, the present invention is directed to systems and methods for providing location information regarding a calling party to the called party where the calling party is using mobile user equipment such as a mobile or cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA) or other device.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requiring wireless carriers to be able to locate users on their network when they make a 911 emergency call. Regulations in this area are referred to generally as Enhanced 911 or E911. As a result, various user locating technologies have been, and are being, implemented in wireless communications networks.
For example, some user equipment, such as, mobile phones and personal digital assistance (PDAs) include global positioning system receivers and can provide GPS coordinates of the user equipment to the mobile network over which they communicate. Other locating systems do not rely on GPS technology.
Instead, cellular triangulation techniques are used. Some cellular triangulation techniques measure the signal strength of the target piece of user equipment at, for example, three or more cell sites, and use those measurements to determine a distance to the user equipment from each of the cell sites. Other cellular triangulation techniques are based on a measurement of time delays of signals transmitted from the user equipment to the plurality of cell sites. The time delays are used to calculate distances. Additionally, or alternatively cellular triangulation can include the use of directional antennas. By rotating a directional antenna and monitoring the strength of signals from the user equipment an antenna orientation associated with a strongest or weakest signal strength can be determined. That antenna orientation is associated with a direction to the user equipment. By projecting vectors from two or more cell sites toward the user equipment an intersection of the vectors can be found. The intersection of the vectors is the location of the user equipment.
Location information regarding calling parties can be useful in situations beyond the 911 emergency call scenario. For example, where lost travelers call someone at their desired destination in order to receive new or updated directions, it can be useful to provide the called party with accurate location information regarding the lost travelers so that specific and customized directions can be provided. Caller location information can also be useful where there is a need or desire to verify the location of the calling party. For example, parents may want to verify the location of their children. Dispatchers may want to verify or accurately determine the location of security or delivery personnel. Parole officers can use location information to determine whether or not parolees checking in by phone are within prescribed boundaries.
Therefore, there is a desire to provide location information regarding calling parties to called parties on a more general basis than is currently available.